Michigan

Bus millage to be decided on May 5 ballot

The Silver Line bus rapid transit system could take riders from 60th Street to the medical mile on Michigan Street in 27 minutes.

It's eight hybrid electric buses could carry commuters in a designated lane on its 9.87-mile route along Division Avenue, making stops at 28th, 36th, 44th and 54th Street intersections and 15 others.

The system could create more than 400 new and permanent jobs with a total annual wage creation of approximately $14.98 million, with an overall economic return on investment of nearly 400 percent.

But first, for all this to occur, voters in the six cities served by The Rapid have to be willing to pass a 0.16 mill issue on the May 5 ballot.

The 0.16 mill issue, which will be asked to voters in East Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Walker and Wyoming, will cover operational costs of the new system and maintain the existing Rapid bus routes.

The millage would not be levied until 2012 and the increase would raise approximately $1.7 million in the first year for operating costs.

The federal government has set aside $32 million for the project and the state has pledged an additional $8 million in matching funds. The federal monies are only available at this time and if the millage is defeated, the funds will be transferred to another mass transportation project outside of Michigan.

More than 300 individuals have endorsed the project including Senators Vern Ehlers, Bill Hardiman and Mark Jansen; Representatives Robert Dean, Tom Pearce and Roy Schmidt and all six mayors of the affected cities.

Supporters of the Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit system met at Tommy Brann's Steakhouse and Grille last Tuesday to kick off their support for the campaign.

"We need to vote on this now as this is our one opportunity. This entails $40 million of federal money and $8 million from the state," said Wyoming mayor Carol Sheets. "Redevelopment happens at least three blocks on either side of these transit stations. The job and development opportunities are endless and think of what this could mean for Division Avenue from 60th Street to the north."

Kentwood Mayor Pro-Tem Richard Clanton said this is an opportunity that cannot be passed up.

"We cannot afford not to make this happen. It has to happen," Clanton said. "There are too many federal dollars at stake. We always talk about jobs and this will create jobs. This seems like a no-brainer to me."

Silver Line buses will operate primarily in dedicated bus-only lanes during peak hours, resulting in higher speeds and much shorter travel times between stations. The Silver Line will use intelligent transportation system applications, such as transit signal priority, which allows the bus rapid transit to travel through intersections more quickly than general traffic. Riders will use an electronic payment system through the stations to ease rider circulation.

Division Avenue was chosen after several months of analysis. Through a charrette process, area leaders decided Division Avenue represented the best combination of current ridership, economic development potential, public input, travel time savings, population factors and it is located parallel to U.S. 131.